Sonic the Hedgehog 4: The Lost Labyrinth

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Grab a torch and hop in a mine cart. It's time to explore the second act in the downloadable game that returns Sonic to his true form.

By Hilary Goldstein

Everything SEGA has revealed about Sonic the Hedgehog 4 makes the game look like a flashy remake of the original Sonic more than some totally new and original game. That's because the focus has been on the first Act, the Green Hill Zone. And that, as far as I can tell, is being made to have that familiar look and feel of the original. The second act takes place again in familiar territory, the Lost Labyrinth (previously just Labyrinth Zone), but it's quite a different experience and shows that Sonic 4 is going to do some new things.

The Labyrinth Zone is the one that pisses people off when playing the original Sonic, because it takes place largely underwater. And, well, hedgehog's can't hold their breath long. It's a constant, sometimes frustrating struggle to get to air bubbles and catch your breath. That's not an issue with the brand new Lost Labyrinth. Most of the action takes place in a series of twisting mazes without fear of drowning. And the one water-heavy level in Act Two has plenty of air bubbles. Drowning won't be much of a threat, so all those old frustrations didn't occur for me even in my first playthrough.

So what's so different and new? In the first level, Sonic grabs a torch and explores a pitch-black maze. There are some mounted candles, which you can light to brighten things, but often times you can only see a few feet in front of you. When you're racing through a trap-filled maze, limited visibility requires some quick reactions.

There are also some cool mini-puzzles with a focus on using the candles. One area in particularly has different columns that extend based on which candles you light. To get through, you need to light the candles in a specific order. Simple stuff, but still a nice change of pace from all the running and the jumping and the bashing of enemies.

You might have seen some leaked footage of Sonic in a mine cart where the player has to rotate the map to manipulate the movements. It didn't look so hot. Well, none of that is in what I played (that version of the Lost Labyrinth level is only in the iPhone version). Yes, there are several mine cart rides, but the only thing you do is hop on, let them zip you around, and jump over gaps in the tracks. It's a small part of some of the levels and kind of cool.

One last little twist: there are some big blocks wired with dynamite. Light the wick with your torch and you can blow up these blocks, opening new paths. This can be cool at times, mainly when you're in the dark and suddenly this light starts racing along a brick towards some explosives.

Of course, most of the time, Sonic's running. One of the levels has this great moment where you push a giant metal ball to start it rolling down a track, then hop on top. You have to maintain Sonic's balance as the ball rolls, and do your best to keep from leaping off too early and falling to your death. But as expected from a Sonic game, sometimes taking a leap of faith can reward you with hidden goodies.

The power-ups are all in line with classic Sonic games. There's temporary invulnerability, the bubble shield (now with a pretty green glow), super-speed, and 1ups. I guess it would have been nice to see a new power-up item thrown in to add something fresh, but at the same time, it's great to see Sonic return so firmly to his roots.

Like a candle in the wind...

As with Act One, the second act has three main levels and then a boss level. I was a little bummed with Act One's fight against Dr. Robotnik, which is too similar to the original Sonic and way too simple. But Act Two adds some challenge as you have to chase Robotnik through the level as it floods with water. Not an easy task. Getting to Robotnik is a lot tougher than beating him (which requires you to avoid being crushed by moving pillars as you leap at Robotnik's weak side). It's a pretty cool level and a good way to end Act Two.

If you loved the original Sonic the Hedgehog, it's safe to say you're going to dig this one. At least, the first two acts certainly suggest this. There's still a lot more of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 to discover, but so far, this one's looking like the Sonic game I've been waiting for. It can't come soon enough.